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Tips For Studying for the Doubles and Triples Test

Why Should I Get My Doubles and Triples Endorsement?

A Class A, B, or C driver’s license is a good start to your trucking career, but taking your education further with the doubles and triples test can expand the job titles and loads that you qualify for. A doubles and triples endorsement is a fairly quick and simple way to do more with your license and apply for a greater variety of jobs.

Doubles and triples are vehicles with two or three trailers attached to your truck’s tractor. As a result, you can carry more with each load you transport. Jobs that require doubles and triples endorsements run the full span of trucking careers, from local and regional routes to dedicated and over-the-road routes. While some states do not currently allow triple trailers, a growing number of states are loosening up their restrictions, essentially increasing the demand for drivers with this endorsement.

Between 2014 and 2024, the expects to see almost 99,000 new trucking jobs across the country, many of which may require endorsements (2016). The national average salary for a truck driver is $39,520 per year (BLS, 2016).

Ready to find out if a doubles and triples endorsement could help you land your dream job? Check out what's covered on the licensure exam and how you can study.

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How Should I Study for My Doubles and Triples Endorsement and Pass my Test?

Each state administers its own licensing exams for trucking endorsements. Having said that, the topics and skills that are required to be covered on your exam are the same across the country, thanks to the federal regulation of truck driving. General doubles and triples and study guides can be helpful, but do not overlook your state's CDL manual. They often have practice questions and statistics taken directly from the test, which helps you prepare more efficiently.

Most states have a dedicated part of the CDL manual for doubles and triples endorsements. When you have a strong grasp on this information, you are on your way to passing a test.

For example, lays out their doubles and triples information in the following categories:
• Overview of pulling doubles/triples
• Coupling and uncoupling
• Inspecting the truck tractor and trailers
• Checking air brakes
• Driving in adverse conditions
• Rollover situations

Once you have studied quite a bit and you think you know everything, get back on the computer and try out some practice tests. These tests show you how information is actually tested, which may help you feel confident and calm while testing.

Requirements for Doubles and Triples Endorsement

From state to state, there are slight differences in the expectations for truckers who want this endorsement. However, some requirements are federal. Before driving a truck with three trailers independently, you must get some experience driving this type of vehicle with your employer (, 2016).

When you go to take a test, you may pay a testing fee, a licensing fee, or both. In Oregon, the testing fee is $10 and the licensing fee is $26.50 (, 2016). In Massachusetts, you pay $10 if you take the test at the same time as your CDL test and you pay $30 if you take the endorsement test after (, 2016).

Depending on where you live, you may take your test at the DMV or at third party testing sites. Massachusetts is one state that requires you to take your test at a third party testing location.

Safely navigating the roads with two or three trailers attached to your truck can be a big challenge, so don't underestimate the difficulty of this test. Before you go take your written doubles and triples test, you should know how to respond appropriately in any situation, including emergencies. It's recommended that you take a variety of endorsement practice tests; the more ways you review information, the more you remember it.

The time you put into your trucking education can be great for your career. If you see local employers looking for doubles and triples certified drivers, start studying and schedule your doubles/triples exam.